Ars recommends three apps for the Android users to check out this weekend.

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Happy almost-weekend, Android-using Ars Technicans! Got any plans for the weekend? Whether you do or don’t, let me direct you to these three fantastic Android apps you should try out in your free time. I’ll be checking in every other Friday with more recommendations for apps that are worth taking up those precious, limited megabytes on your Android handset or tablet.

If you have any suggestions of your own for apps that we should check out, please leave a comment below!

It’s unfortunate that Android doesn't come with its own podcast suite, especially considering how much content you have access to through the Google Play store. This makes it difficult for users switching over from the comfortable throes of Apple’s iTunes ecosystem, where podcast syncing was a cinch. Never fear: the Google Play store has a few podcast gems that can help alleviate this issue.

Podkicker Pro is one of the better applications available in the Google Play store, and its bare-bones interface makes it easy for anyone to use. You can add podcasts by name, or RSS feed. you can also share your currently subscribed podcasts with Podkicker to retrieve a list of podcasts you may be interested in listening to. Podkicker’s search engine also enables you to refine your query with boolean search, so you can search for a podcast spinning the latest drum and bass music, but excluding anything that might lump dub-step into that category.

There’s a free version available for those of you who would rather not shell out the $2.99, though it has ads and comes with fewer features than its paid counterpart.

Frankly, there’s still nothing more efficient than writing your to-dos down on a piece of paper to prepare for the work day. However, when you’re out and about and things come to mind, sometimes all you have is your phone on hand. In comes Astrid: a to-do application that’s kind of like the annoying personal assistant you've always wanted—great for pushing you to get things done, hard to ignore if you're a procrastinator.

If you need something that's persistent in keeping you on task, Astrid will do the job. You can write down your tasks, set up the app to sync with services like Google Tasks, and then Astrid will pop up (in the Notifications panel) throughout the day to make sure you’ve completed what you need to do. You can set a due date for a specific to-do, and there’s also a Chrome plug-in that seamlessly integrates with the app. You can also purchase the Astrid Power Pack for $3.99 which buys you the ability to add tasks using your voice and to download widgets in varying sizes.

Instagram’s tilt-shift features are handy, but they’re not very customizable. EasyFocus lets you focus in on a very specific part of a photo, while "defocusing" the rest of the subject around it. It’s an easy way to tack on SLR-like focus effects to your smartphone photos, or make a huge crowd in a baseball stadium look like a bunch of miniature figurines. EasyFocus also enables the user to freehand the focus area, for more precision. You can also use the Photo Enhance tool to make images look more vibrant.